A quiet stretch of North Socrum Loop Road in unincorporated Lakeland became the center of a disturbing investigation Thursday after deputies uncovered what they describe as a one-woman, unlicensed dog surgery operation fueled by a powerful veterinary sedative shipped from overseas.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the case began far from Florida — with a package intercepted by U.S. Customs in New York. The parcel, shipped from India, was addressed to a Lakeland home. Inside were eight boxes labeled “Xylaxine,” containing glass bottles filled with liquid Xylazine, totaling approximately 240 grams.
Xylazine — often referred to on the street as “tranq” — is a veterinary sedative increasingly found mixed with fentanyl in illicit drug sales. Authorities say the discovery immediately raised red flags.
Detectives traced the package to the Lakeland address and executed a search warrant Thursday. There, they encountered 35-year-old Ashley Wimbrow, who told deputies she was involved in dog breeding.
According to investigators, Wimbrow admitted she had been using Xylazine for about a year to sedate dogs while performing surgical procedures for money. The procedures included tail docking — the removal of a dog’s tail — and ear cropping, a controversial practice designed to make a dog’s ears stand upright. She reportedly charged between $10 and $100 depending on the animal’s size and the nature of the surgery.
Deputies say Wimbrow acknowledged she had never held a veterinary license and claimed she did not know one was required. Law enforcement confirmed she was not licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Florida.
Inside the home, investigators described troubling conditions. Five dogs — smaller-than-standard pit bulls commonly referred to as “pocket bullies” — were found in separate crates. Authorities reported fresh and dried feces, puddles of urine, and a strong ammonia odor permeating the room.
Wimbrow signed paperwork transferring custody of the dogs to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The animals were transported to Polk County Animal Control, where they will undergo medical evaluations before eventually being made available for adoption.
Sheriff Grady Judd said there was no evidence suggesting the dogs were being used for dogfighting, and authorities did not find indications of fentanyl trafficking tied to the Xylazine shipment.
“Fortunately, we found no evidence of ‘tranq/fentanyl’ trafficking,” Judd said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we discovered that animals were being subject to unsafe surgeries and dogs were being confined in an unhealthy environment. No one should be performing medical procedures on animals without proper training or licensing.”
Wimbrow was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, animal neglect, and practicing veterinary medicine in the state of Florida without a valid active license.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Tampa office of Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which assisted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
